Terris et Locis

Earth and Terrain

Roles and Responsibilities

• Project Manager/Lead Writer: Mike Katzenberger & Chris Colon
• Editor and Fact Checker: Zach DeLong, Kyle Rudman
• Technical Developer: Bryce Merkt, Seth Ava
• Learning Specialist: Haley Lennon

Sources

Annerstedt, Matilda, et al. “Inducing Physiological Stress Recovery With Sounds of   Nature in a Virtual Reality Forest — Results From a Pilot Study.” vol 118, 2013, pp 240-250. ebscohost,          http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938413001650?via%3Dih       ub. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

Chau, Brian. “Hospital For Sick Kids Launches Virtual Reality Unit With Samsung.” IMedicalApps. 2017, ebscohost, www.imedicalapps.com/2017/04/hospital-for-sick-kids-virtual-reality/. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

Cutillo, A, et al. “A Literature Review of Nature-Based Therapy and its Application in Cancer Care.” Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture. Vol. 25, no. 1, 2015, ebscohost, https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=122818789&site=ehost-live. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

Deans, Emily. “Nature Therapy.” Sussex Publishers. 2016, ebscohost, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201608/nature-therapy. Accessed 27, Nov 2017.

Hart, Jane. “Prescribing Nature Therapy For Improved Mental Health.” Alternative & Complementary Therapies, vol. 22, no. 4, 2016, pp. 161-163. ebscohost, https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=117300499&site=ehost-live. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

“Journey With Us.” The Nature Conservancy. 2017, ebscohost, www.nature.org/how- we-work/virtual-reality-gallery.xml. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

Lumsdaine, Sally; Thurston, Mhairi. “Growing up in a Mainstream World: A Retrospective Enquiry into the Childhood Experiences of Young Adults with a Physical Disability.” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, vol 64 no. 2, 2017, ebscohost,    https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d   irect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1130447&site=ehost-live. Accessed 1, Dec 2017.

Madden, Lauren; Liang, Jennifer. “Young Children’s Ideas about Environment: Perspectives from Three Early Childhood Educational Settings.” Environmental Education Research, vol. 23 no. 8, 2017, ebscohost, https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d   irect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1149434&site=ehost-live. Accessed 1, Dec 2017.

Martin, Jessica. “Virtual Reality Reduces Pain in Children During Routine Blood Draw.” Clinical Pain Advisor. vol. 129, 2017, ebscohost,    http://www.clinicalpainadvisor.com/acute-pain/virtual-reality-standard-of-care-   children-adolescents-blood-draw-anxiety-pain/article/708119/. Accessed 3, Dec 2017.

Salem, Yasser; Ahmed, Elokda. “Use of Virtual Reality Gaming Systems For Children Who Are Critically Ill.” Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. Vol. 7, no. 3,2014.  pp. 273-276. ebscohost, https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d   irect=true&db=a9h&AN=98560711&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 25, Nov 2017.

Senson, Alex. “Virtual Reality Therapy: Treating the Global Mental Health Crisis.” Oath Tech    Network. 2016, ebscohost,  https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/06/virtual-reality-therapy-      treating-the-global-mental-health-crisis/. Accessed 27, Nov 2017.

Sharan, Deepak, et al. “Virtual Reality Based Therapy for Post Operative      Rehabilitation of Children with Cerebral Palsy.” Work, vol. 41, 2012, ebscohost, ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tr    ue&db=bth&AN=71928392&site=eds-live&scope=site.http://www.clinicalpainadvisor.com/acute-pain/virtual-reality-standard-of-care-children-adolescents-blood-draw-anxiety-pain/article/708119/. Accessed 3, Dec 2017.

Sik-Lanyi, Cecilia, et al. “Virtual Reality in Special Needs Early Education.” vol 5, 2006, pp 55-68. ebscohost,    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220222171_Virtual_Reality_in_Special   Needs_Early_Education. Accessed 3, Dec 2017.

Tashiian, Vartan, C, et al. “Virtual Reality for Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients: Results of a Controlled Trial.” Journal of Medical Interest Research, vol. 19, no. 3, 2017, ebscohost,        https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d   irect=true&db=lxh&AN=122323743&site=ehost-live. Accessed 27, Nov 2017.

Wilferth, Joe. “Gaining Ground by ‘Thinking Little’: Gardening as Curricular Reform in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.” Liberal Education, vol. 103 no. 1, 2017, ebscohost, https://ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d   irect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1140068&site=ehost-live. Accessed 1, Dec 2017.

Our product is an interactive virtual experience that allows users to engulf themselves in a natural environment and learn about the specific location. Users will follow along with a narrator who will explain to them different information about the environment they are in. Individuals can select from a menu of items that will allow them to learn about various landmarks/nature from around the world. Our application will have a free basic package with advertisements that give users only a limited menu of items to choose from. Or they can upgrade their status to premium and have full-access to the entire site.

This product is for individuals with disabilities that keep them from experiencing nature. It could also be for individuals who are looking to travel to different locations without having to pay for travel expenses. In general, anyone who is interested in learning about nature and society through a virtual intuitive experience applies to our audience. Our application could be used by school systems, museums, and historical societies alike.

We would like the narrator of our experience to sound something like Steve Irwin. This would give a Crocodile Hunter-esque experience because Irwin had a way of always getting people involved and interested in nature. Crocodile Hunter was a television show that immersed viewers in the world of a zookeeper or nature guide, Steve Irwin, as he traveled around the world showing various different environments and geographical locations. The show reached people from around the globe and entranced viewers with sights of unknown parts of the world. VR devices have the ability to let people live vicariously through another. VR has the potential to put people who are afflicted by illness or injury to experience nature in a way previously inconceivable. Not only can people see what the Crocodile hunter is doing, but live feel as though it is themselves who are doing.

The target audience of Terris et Locis are individuals with disabilities and bedridden patients alike. The secondary audience could be the general populous, students, professionals, museums, or individuals who specialize in different fields that pertain to nature. The audience of our application can be so broad because anyone can want to learn about and be a part of nature. 

When developing an application such as this, learning outcomes are very important. Terris et Locis is designed to figuratively get bedridden patients out of the bed and into nature. Now, the app will not cure the patient’s condition or physically get them outside, but our hope is to get them as close as we can to simulating an outdoor experience. This application is educational because while viewers are experiencing the simulation, they will be learning about what they’re seeing at the same time. The target audience of our application is children and others who are bedridden or otherwise unable to go outside. Not only will this experience be educational, it will also be therapeutic. According to Thurston, “children with disabilities are at greater risk of developing mental health problems than their peers”(1). The outdoors can be therapeutic for anyone, but especially for bedridden patients because it will allow them to see and experience things that others take for granted.

The experience of Terris et Locis will display a real camera recording of an outdoor/nature location that will immerse the user into that environment. While in the simulation, the user will learn about different aspects of the environment they’re in. They will be able to identify various locations from around the world, and explain their significance to humanity. This means that users are expected to retain information from the simulation about how nature affects humanity. The users of Terris et Locis are intended to formulate positive opinions about the world around them, and what they can do to positively contribute to our planet. The application will teach about how humans are polluting earth and the reasons why we should save it. Users will be able to record their educational progress using a virtual gradebook. This means that as users are learning about the environment and humanity’s impact on it, they can record what they’ve learned. Users will eventually be able to combine research and evidence to draw conclusions on key areas from around the world and their significance to the overall planet. With all the information they learn from the experience, users will be able to draw conclusions about it and form their own opinions. Users will examine and experience natural phenomena that exists in the world today.

The learning outcomes of our application will be assessed by a quiz. At the end of each video simulation, individuals will participate in a brief 5 question quiz about the video they just watched. Individuals can create and access a grade book using our application that will store the quizzes and the grades that they receive. Individuals can then be added to an application-wide  leader board where their scores can be seen across the social web.

We will use the 360 degree camera and go to several destinations in nature. While filming, we will talk about different educational themes found in nature (Ex. info about trees, streams, and background about the destinations.). Cost is little to none, considering we don’t have to pay for the camera. Google Cardboard is the most cost effective VR headset available, and because it’s a video rather than a computer-generated world, the app itself will run much smoother on the user’s phone. The app is accessible for android and iOS users, meaning it can be used virtually anywhere as long as the user has a phone with the app on it.

There are other virtual reality applications already existing that are similar to ours. Some of these include Google Earth, the New York Times app, Discovery VR, Gala 360, and even NASA. What separates us from other VR applications is our charismatic narrators that will lead individuals adventurous journeys from around the world. Our interface will be simple to use, allowing any age group to access our content. We also hope to make our application available to museums and educational institutions. This will make our content premier to our competitors. We will establish ourselves as the leaders in this market segment. The demo, taking place in the various parks of the Owings Mills and Pikesville area, provides a unique experience unlike any other. There are plenty of natural, appealing nature locations in our city. These include parks, trails, high schools, and college campuses.

We will reach our customers through social media accounts like Twitter, as well as a website will be made to support our Terris et Locis VR application. We will then advertise our VR system by posting on all of our social medias. Then, make pamphlets and promote them widely on our social media pages. These pamphlets will also be printed and handed out around all local hospitals and health care providers.

Going to hospitals and asking to demo our material to hospital patients. We will record the reactions of these patients, and use this as our marketing platform. Broadcasting a message that our content gives users the ability to quickly escape from reality and explore our wonderful planet using our videos. Our videos will be educational in nature, yet, but the main focus of our project is to get individuals to enjoy our videos.

The initial prototype of our application will be limited. It will be kept to a 1-2 minute trailer sample. We will create multiple samples that range in content and location. This gives users a quick-glimpse of what our interface will look like.

The next phase of our development will be focused on expanding. We will go out and film more and then begin to edit. We will be hiring creators, editors, and application designers to add more reality and content to our VR application. We will create an application interface that will act as our homepage and our content base from individuals to choose from. Eventually, we hope to find and lease a small office location to act as our headquarters during the development of this project

In 5 years, we plan to have a fully operational, five minutes or more of playful and explorable VR content. We will do this through hard working labor hours and following our clear, common goal of developing our VR application. We will hope to expand operations and include more videos, scenery and seek charismatic narrators that will narrate our videos. Find and locate an office space to act as a headquarters for our operations.

 

Aaliyah Robinson, Arlene Butler, Isadora Fink, and Rachel Conway

Proposal:

Intro/Purpose

Our product is called Biohazard: Syndicate and is a Virtual Reality simulation that puts the player in the shoes of a young, single parent who is a lab tech at the start of a zombie apocalypse. The main idea of Biohazard: Syndicate is to educate college and pre-med students on the spread of diseases through a “hands-on” experience.  This Virtual Reality will put the players in a lab at the beginning of a zombie apocalypse and allows them to study and learn about the spread of diseases with the feeling of urgency of the zombies surrounding them.  This product is important and something that schools would benefit from because it allows students who are studying the transmission of pathogens  to experiment with the bacteria and causes of the diseases without putting themselves in a harmful situation.

The background research consisted of looking into the different ways diseases can be spread, in order to know what needs to happen in the game.  The information found consists of direct and indirect viral pathways, the importance of discovering a pathway, how to properly analyze a sample, and recognizing patterns within the data.   

The target audience for the Biohazard: Syndicate is the science departments of Colleges and Universities.The schools are our target market because the program is designed for the use of college and pre-med students that are studying the spread of diseases because they will benefit from being in a virtual setting where they get to collect samples, analyze those samples, and then test different treatments.  This will be conducted in a safe environment being that it is all virtual.  The fact that it takes place during a zombie apocalypse will also teach the students how to deal with the pressure and  time sensitivity.   

Learning Outcomes

The main objective of the application is to educate students on pathology and discover new ways to facilitate learning. The students will be able to know how disease spreads, use laboratory tools and, understand how to conduct data collection. In the Experience the user will learn differentiation on the spread of disease. The player must decide if the spread is direct or indirect in order to inform the the public on methods to avoid the contagion. If the spread of the disease is direct the student would need to analyze the what makes the pathogen unable to spread without a host (Cortez).

The application is not just about just surviving the zombie apocalypse but to teach scientific methods and the study of pathology. The students will come out of the experience understanding how to use specific laboratory equipment properly and comprehend what it is to be used for. The application itself allows the student to interact with expensive equipment without the risk of damages or chemical hazards. In order to become proficient at a skill, one must practice with a hand on learning experience allowing for more neuron connections to occur and create a memorable experience (TÜRK).

In order to assess the students understand of the information given, the player’s must demonstrate the tasks in game. The accuracy of their work would be assessed by a point system such as a scoreboard. The score could appear on the in game avatars wrist, as well as, game achievements. The achievement represent  player’s ability to specific objectives. These objectives would be the proper usage of equipment, determined how the disease spread or completion field data collection. The completion of the achievement describes that the student has the ability to correctly follow procedures and has payed attention to the applications information.

User Experience/ User Interface

There are currently no real marketable applications that truly teach the students about the spread of disease and the ways to stop it. Scientists at the Virus Research Center currently employ an application that permits them to view viruses and their weak points (Gates). This allows them to determine what can be used in order to stop the virus; this application is not readily available to the public. It is likely too complex for any ordinary person to fully comprehend. Using the HTC Vive the user can view the virus in a 360 view. Any noted weak spots could then virtually be tested to see if a certain drug would be able to denature the virus and thus create a vaccine.

While this technology is being used for groundbreaking scientific advancements, it does not educate undergraduate students, and it is incredibly boring. Looking at a colorful blob in order to stop a disease is not something the students may want to do. Our application, Biohazard: Syndicate, provides the undergrads with the knowledge of disease. It allows the user to experience lab work and data analysis, but also have some fun. At the start of the Zombie apocalypse, the user must gather samples from the undead and come up with a vaccine. As the user progresses through the game, they receive notification of their successes; the more achievements the better the user played, and the more the user learned. The user will be guided through the application, but not told if their conclusion is correct until the very end. The vaccine is tested on a child and the user will receive a notification if it worked.

Biohazard: Syndicate will be formatted for use on the HTC Vive. The visuals will ideally be realistic animation as to imitate the graphics of an actual video game. The HTC Vive can be used sitting or standing up. A room-scaled play area can be created in order to provide the user will a fully immersive experience. There is a built in safety system that warns the user as they approach the boundaries of their play area. This function provides the user with a sense of comfort. The headset is also equipped with a front-facing camera so that the user can still be aware of their surroundings outside of the headset. The headset is adjustable and fits over most glasses. The hand controllers are exclusively designed for VR and are equipped with HD haptic feedback. The wireless base stations are used to track the user throughout the play area; it has a 360 range.

The basis of the application is to provide the user with a fun way to learn about disease. The user is a lab technician at the start of the zombie apocalypse. They will work with a team of 6 under a lead pathologist. The user must fight zombies to collect samples, and use lab equipment to identify the pathogen and how it spreads. Near the end of the user’s experience the character’s child becomes sick with the disease. The research performed will determine whether the child is saved. The user will analyze the pathogen found in the samples with a computer and microscope, determine the necessary information, and finally vaccinate the child.

Storyboard

:

Implementation Strategy

Overall, specific issues that occur with this technology will be cost, availability for consumers, and making sure the focus of the game is pathology and is not overshadowed by zombies. In order to combat the issues we set an idea of what systems would be most effective to use for the experience as haptic feedback is a necessary part of the application, we looked at the systems HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. To accomplish the main point of the application of being more than just a zombie apocalypse game, the focus of the must be labeled throughout the simulation and have limited interaction. By grouping the zombies as a labeled contagion without a first person shooter perspective the user would focus on the specific task more than trying to destroy all zombies.

The main target of our product is universities and college students. The application can be used as a resource in college classrooms to facilitate a hands experience without the risk of becoming sick. The application allows for a more interactive lecture requiring the students full attention. Our secondary target audience is students of any level of education such as high school students. The objective of the application is to create a learning experience that will establish an interest in the user. The way which we choose to advertise the product would be through social media sites commonly used by college students. The sites we believe to be most beneficial to advertise on would be Twitter,Youtube, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

App icon:

Long-term Vision

The initial prototype focuses on identifying what is causing the zombie disease.  The players are motivated to find the cause by the knowledge that if they fail, their child will contract the disease. The first episode we are pitching is focusing on finding the cure, so that the player is not overwhelmed with too much at once.  In the future of Biohazard: Syndicate, more episodes can be released that deal with finding a cure for the Zombie disease as well as one where you prevent further spread. The next episode released can use the information you developed when you found the cause of the disease to figure out how to further prevent the spreading of the disease so you will then be able to find a cure to the disease all together.  Another expansion option is that the cure you developed does not work on everyone, so you then have to adjust the cure you found to help those who were not cured.

        The 5-year plan for Biohazard: Syndicate begins with the release of the initial game, which includes finding the cause of the Zombie outburst.  Once the game is released, we will then work on any bugs in the initial release, and promptly fix them to give the players the most realistic experience possible.  We will take a year or so to gain feedback from the public on what they like or do not like about the game and develop the next episode, establishing the cure, taking into account the feedback from the players.  We want to make sure the next game will be well received. If the feedback from the new episode is positive, we will then move forward with the third episode which will deal with the cure previously developed failing in some people, and the player will then need to adapt the cure to work on every person.  

In conclusion, we hope that this pitch will be something that many of you consider for the future. With new diseases developing every year, this product will be beneficial to younger generations that are still learning and developing. This virtual reality experience can be a fun way of learning, while the users are still retaining useful information. According to Sandra Piovesan, virtual reality presents an opportunity of learning with a real situation, but artificially created, facilitating the visualization and the interaction sensation with the study focus. This virtual reality experience allows students to be dangerous situations while not actually being in any real danger. Furthermore, the virtual reality permits students to learn about real diseases in an  interactive world based on images that are computer generated.  This experience will be something that can be used for years to come, and it can fit in with the technology of today.

Work Cited

Balcarek, Kytia B., et al. “Neonatal Screening for Coenital Cytomegalovirus Infection by Detection of Virus in Saliva.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 167, no. 6, 1993, pp. 1433–1436. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30112750.

Cortez, Michael H., et al. “Distinguishing between Indirect and Direct Modes of Transmission Using Epidemiological Time Series.” The American Naturalist, vol. 181, no. 2, 2013, pp. E43–E52. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/668826.

“Discover Virtual Reality Beyond Imagination.” VIVE™, HTC Corporation, www.vive.com/us/.

Gates, Bill. “Here’s How Virtual Reality Can Help Fight Disease.” Gatesnotes.com, The Gates Notes LLC, 11 July 2017, www.gatesnotes.com/Health/How-Virtual-Reality-Can-Help-Us-Fight-Viruses

Piovesan, S. D., Passerino, L. M., & Pereira, A. S. (2012). Virtual Reality as a Tool in the Education. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED542830.pdf

TÜRK, Cumhur, et al. “An Experimental Study on the Teaching of Seasons: Model Transformation.” [“MEVSİMLER KONUSUNUN ÖĞRETİMİ ÜZERİNE DENEYSEL BİR ÇALIŞMA: MODEL DÖNÜŞÜMÜ”]. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Avrasya Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 27, June 2017, pp. 531-561. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=124908259&site=ehost-live.

Demo:

https://cdn.instavr.co/html/8Sxz9qHC6ihagXCMn80n_app.html

Presentation Link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qZNbWfCU0HnHu-iA8PSrnf4or9zPYbT5Jj2H9vSD-kk/edit#slide=id.p

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

Tyra Wilson

Mykia Bessicks

Lexxiana Zollicoffer

Molly Myers

 

Intro & Purpose

Pollution issues are some of the most important environmental, social, and health issues in the world. The rapid growth of world population has been closely accompanied by the rapid increase in all forms of pollution, especially air and water pollution.

Our product, Age of Environment, explores three of the most polluted and destroyed environments in the world before and after they were ruined by human interactions. The three that we are focusing on are the Citarum River, Linfen, China, and Rondonia, Brazil. People need to be aware of our product because it will show how difficult it is to fix what has been destroyed and hopefully as a result, learn steps for the future that could avoid this from worsening or happening again.

Water pollution is the inclusion or inserted living things, elements, energy, and/or other components into the water by human activity so that the water quality decreases to a certain level, which causes the water to not function as intended (NSW Environment & Heritage, 2017). In Indonesia, the Citarum River plays an important role in the water supply for both the city of Bandung, which is home to 10 million people, and the greater Jakarta region, of 25 million people (Asian Development Bank, 2014). Its waters irrigate farms providing around 5% of the nation’s rice and feed more than 2,000 factories on its banks. Idyllic here in its upper reaches, downstream the story is very different (Asian Development Bank, 2014).

The Citarum River contains domestic and industrial waste. Industrial waste includes up to 80% of wastes from the national textile industries. Over the past 20 years, water quality in the Citarum River Basin has been decreasing rapidly as pollution takes over the river. In terms of air quality, it is the degree to which the ambient air is pollution-free, assessed by measuring a number of indicators of pollution.

The World Bank has stated that 16 out of 20 of the world’s worst polluted cities are in China while the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has branded Linfen as having the worst air quality in the country (Worst Polluted, 2007). The air quality is so bad that local clinics are seeing growing cases of bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung cancer. The children have high rates of lead poisoning. As the death rates continue to grow, it all has been linked to the pollution levels.

Lastly, Rondonia Brazil is one of the most deforested regions of the Amazon Rain Forest. Thousands of acres of forest have been slashed and burned there, mostly to make room for cattle ranching. Land development in the Amazon has gone through phases of rubber extraction, agricultural development, immigration, road expansion, and promotion of large enterprises in cattle ranching, timber extraction and mining (Watts, 2015).

Air pollution, for instance, leads to problems with lungs and respiratory diseases, and long-term exposure to air pollution can even lead to cancer (Worst Polluted, 2007). On the other hand, water pollution leads to different waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and can also lead to poisoning (NSW Environment & Heritage, 2007). The environmental damage caused by pollution can reach catastrophic proportions and destroy entire ecosystems leading to death of many species and a big biodiversity loss (Watts, 2015). Pollution issues are important because Earth is still our only home, and pollution is making this planet dirty and unhealthy to live in. Pollution creates many diseases and causes death of many people all across the globe.

 

Learning Outcomes

The goal of our product, Age of Environment, is to inform users on the harmful effects pollution has had on the planet by allowing them to view three of the world’s most polluted areas, explaining how it came to be, and how it can be fixed. Through this application, the user will not only learn about the dangers pollution has on the planet, humans, and animals but they will also learn how to become green and take initiative as an individual to ensure that no more areas on the world because as polluted as these areas are.

The users will learn about the deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil, the poor air quality in Linfen, China, and the extensive pollution in the Citarum River. The user will be able to interact with the animals in the Brazilian rainforest and learn facts about the animals like diet, lifespan, and how their population has changed since the pollution began. This will also factor into teaching the user to empathize with the animals because they will have first-hand experience interacting with them. The users will also observe the chemicals being emitted into the air from factories in Linfen, China.  They will learn the harmful effects smog has on the denizens of Linfen and gain knowledge of what chemicals in the smog, specifically, are harming the environment and the citizens. The user will be able to physically pull apart the molecules of the smog and learn which of them is harmful. They will also sail on the Citarum and experience the harmful effects that amount of pollution has had on the aquatic life living in the river. They will also learn about the population of the aquatic life and how that has changed since the pollution began. Additionally, they will see through a time lapse how long it took to pollute these areas and learn how long it would take to completely restore these areas.

At the end of the simulation, we will test the user’s retention of the information they learned by quizzing them. They will be asked to identify certain species of animals and vegetation and how the pollution in the area has affected their population. They will be asked to identify which chemicals have been emitted into the air that are harmful to the environment and people. They will also be asked about how long it would take to restore each area after the devastating amount of pollution and what are some ways that they, as an individual, can protect the environment.

Rather than learning from a textbook, students will be able to physically interact with and see the things they have been learning about. This will not only help them to retain the information but it will also give the information value, which is important when trying to impact someone’s lifestyle as this virtually reality experience plans to do. “The immersion in made-to-measure environments allows students to face learning experiences that maximize the use of all their senses. This may seem insignificant but such experience becomes indispensable in the understanding of concepts unknown to the individual in question” (Huang, Rauch, & Liaw, 2010). Our targeted demographic is likely to have never physically seen the places that we are focusing on, which will make it hard for them to connect with and understand the information; however, putting them in these places gives them a reason to care, to understand.

Additionally, Age of Environment gives the user complete control of their environment by allowing them to use the time lapse function to see how the environment changes in each time period, giving them the ability to reach directly into a chemical molecular construction, and giving them complete control in making the environment new. Having the user in control will increase the amount of attention they put into the app and consequently the amount they learn.  Our app will also aim to give the user clear goals during the game and help them understand how to navigate early in the game to better their learning outcomes. A study conducted by the University of Washington found that “students who had difficulty navigating in the virtual world or who lacked a clear understanding of the tasks they were to perform in it learned less and enjoyed the experience less” (Winn, 1995). This is why the user will get clear instructions on their goals and how to navigate in the beginning of the simulation.

 

User Experience

 

There are many other applications that have similarities to Age of Environment. There is a simulation on the NY Times VR application called Underneath a Cracked Sky that allows the viewer to follow divers underneath the frozen Pacific and watch as they explore the sea below. They have also worked with scientists to create a virtual reality experience that shows users how climate change has affected the ocean first hand. This is very similar to the way that AOE will implement environmental exploration (from the perspective of the viewer as if they are present in this environment). This is different because it is merely exploration of a destroyed environment. Age of Environment will aim to allow users to explore environments in two different ways; the real and true polluted state, and a simulated state that the environment was in before it was polluted. The user will see how an environment went from perfectly clean and natural, to completely ravaged by pollution in a time lapse. This will have a huge emotional effect on a user as they can see the severity of the before and after. The VHIL (Virtual Human Interaction Lab) ran by Stanford Professor Jeremy Bailenson has also developed a virtual reality experience that allows users to witness the effects of climate change first hand. This program allows users to explore the Great Barrier Reef and demonstrates what it looks like due to coral bleaching through pollution. In the VR you become a piece of coral and go through the process of being bleached and destroyed due to pollution. This is another VR that is very similar to the idea of AOE. Age of Environment will use these same strategies to evoke empathy and an understanding of how pollution has come to be in the user, but will also allow the user to take part in fixing the problem. For example, when visiting the Citarum River in the virtual reality program users will have a chance at moving around the river with a resident of the city attempting to clean-up the water.

The experience itself will be an immersive time lapse that the user will use to learn about the devastation of pollution. It will start out as a 360 view of one of the selected environments before it was ravaged by pollution. For example, the user will be standing alongside the Citarum River before it was filled with trash and chemicals. The images needed can be captured with the GoPro Omni, which will show the actual destination and will be digitally altered to remove pollution. A time lapse will occur around the user in the area as the environment is more and more polluted. Trash in the river will build up around the user as a voiceover describes how this happened. The user can look around and move. After the time lapse is over the user will then be instructed by a voiceover about how people have attempted to clean-up the mess. The user can then use the Oculus or HTC Vive handheld joysticks to reach into the trash and attempt to help clean up the environment.

 

Implementation Strategy

 

The virtual reality environment will be created using a combination of photographs taken of the areas targeted as subjects, and a projected environment. The VR includes user experiences in a few places around the world such as Indonesia, China, and Brazil. The images of these places can be captured by exploring them and recording with the GoPro Omni 360 camera. The virtual reality environment will ideally be viewable through the semi-immersive Oculus Rift, which is $400.00, or the HTC Vive, which is about $600.00 without a PC (Swider, 2017). With these systems, a user will be able to interact with the environment around them, which is the ultimate goal of the VR program Age of Environment. The program is meant to not only educate students by teaching them how pollution and human interaction has destroyed the selected environments, but also gives them a way to learn how to help fix what has been destroyed. The Vive and Oculus Rift will allow students to virtually touch and interact with the environment they are seeing. The Oculus and Vive are expensive systems that not every education system will have access too. As an option, the VR program can be available as a downloadable smartphone application, much like the experiences that the NY Times VR app offers. Age of Environment can be implemented similarly and viewed with or without a Google Cardboard as a non-immersive virtual experience as well, just as the NY Times VR app allows. This is a much more cost effective alternative than making the program only usable on platforms like the expensive Vive and Oculus that not every student will have access to.

The program is meant to target students in secondary or higher education studying subjects like environmental science. The ideal way to reach the targeted users of this program is to make this system available in school classrooms. Having an application similar to the NY Times app will make it easy for schools to show students the program in the classrooms, with or without a google cardboard to use. Private schools, public schools with a high budget, or universities may be able to afford to have a Vive or Oculus present to utilize a more interactive, complex experience.  The ultimate goal will be to have Age of Environment viewable to students in high school or college science classes before they venture into independent adulthood and start leaving a serious carbon footprint.

 

Long-term Vision

 

Within our prototype, there will be a few limitations in order to keep it simple and manageable. We will start with only three locations that face high levels of pollution such as the Citarum River, Linfen, China, and Rondonia, Brazil. This will allow us to focus on the details of these specific areas in order to make the VR more realistic, interactive, and educational for the user.

Stressing the importance of virtual reality applications in the education system is also important. Since our VR application will be placed into classroom settings, we want it to be known as something that helps shape the learning of students and others. Using VR in the classroom contributes to the “understanding of abstract concepts, as well as in training in real environments and situations” (Fernandez, 2017). Since the idea behind our application is to create an environment that has been destroyed by pollution, it will allow there to be a training aspect for students in order to teach them and give them real experience in facing these major issues.

The next phase of development will include more locations to explore and a higher quality of content. Some locations that can be added to our application are Chernobyl in the Ukraine, La Oroya in Peru, and Norilsk in Russia. All of these areas face mass devastation related to and caused by pollution. Within these countries about 10 million people are at risk for cancer, respiratory disease, and even premature death due to high levels of pollution (West, 2017). To improve user experience with a higher quality of content, we can find a better quality 360 degree image or even find new ways to make the VR interactive. We can provide background information on how the area became polluted and we can also add more information to teach people about the everyday lifestyle that someone from these specific areas would have.

Our five year plan includes adding more locations to our application other than the ones mentioned above, more interaction, and a focus on educating people on the importance of cleaning up the Earth and the environment that we live in. It may be important to add locations from here in the United States in order to educate people on the fact that pollution isn’t just a problem in foreign countries and that we face high levels of pollution too. We want the interaction to be as realistic as possible. Over time, it would be interesting if the user could pick up trash to help with cleanup efforts or interact with other people in the area. The education could then be improved by using a voice over to teach prevention methods. Water pollution tends to start on land and makes its way to open waterways and soil pollution is caused by big industries and agriculture (Kinhal, n.d.). If we teach simples things like soil conservation and recycling, then that’s one step closer to helping the Earth be a healthy place, which will then allow our product to be more functional.

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Bank, Asian Development. “Tackling Pollution in Indonesia’s Citarum River Basin.” Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, 5 June 2017, www.adb.org/news/photo-essays/tackling-pollution-indonesias-citarum-river-basin.

 

Fernandez, Manuel. “Augmented Virtual Reality: How to Improve Education Systems.” Higher Learning Research Communications, vol. 7, no. 1, 01 June 2017, pp. 1-15. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1150087&site=ehostlive.

 

Heritage, corporateName=Office of Environment and. “Water quality.” NSW Environment & Heritage, 12 May 2017, www.environment.nsw.gov.au/water/waterqual.htm.

 

Huang, Hsiu-Mei, et.al. “Investigating Learners’ Attitudes toward Virtual Reality Learning Environments: Based on a Constructivist Approach.” Computers & Education, vol. 55, no. 3, 01 Nov. 2010, pp. 1171-1182. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.stevenson.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ892516&site=ehost-live.

 

Kinhal, Vijayalaxmi. “Ways to Stop Pollution.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, greenliving.lovetoknow.com/ways-stop-pollution.

 

“Linfen, China.” :: WorstPolluted.Org : Projects Reports, 2007, www.worstpolluted.org/projects_reports/display/22.

 

Swider, Matt. “HTC Vive vs Oculus Rift: which VR headset is better?” TechRadar, TechRadar The source for Tech Buying Advice, 12 Oct. 2017, www.techradar.com/news/wearables/htc-vive-vs-oculus-rift-1301375/2.

 

Watts, Jonathan. “Amazon deforestation report is major setback for Brazil ahead of climate talks.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Nov. 2015, www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/27/amazon-deforestation-report-brazil-paris-climate-talks.

 

West, Larry. “The 10 Worst Polluted Places on Earth.” ThoughtCo, 24 July 2017, www.thoughtco.com/worst-polluted-places-on-earth-1204101.

 

Winn, William. “THE VIRTUAL REALITY ROVING VEHICLE PROJECT .” T.H.E. Journal, vol. 23, no. 5, 1 Dec. 1995. ERIC, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=2b5e4549-1c6a-436d-a01f-f81e7167fb50%40sessionmgr120&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ516505&db=eric.

Storyboard Link:

virtual-reality

Presentation Link:

https://prezi.com/p/lshs_tje3lym/

Demo Link (Downloadable link):

IMG_3596